Art. 924.1 Effect of appeal

If someone is convicted of a crime, they can't file for post conviction relief while they still have the option to appeal their case, or while an appeal is already in progress. The courts want people to use the regular appeal process first before trying this other route.

Think of it like a required order of steps. Appealing a conviction is the normal way to challenge what happened in court. Post conviction relief is meant for later, after the appeal process is finished or the time to appeal has passed. If a person tries to file for post conviction relief too early, while they could still appeal or already have an appeal going, the court will not consider their request.

This rule keeps cases moving through the system in the right order. It stops people from trying to use both processes at the same time, which could create confusion or conflicting decisions. Once the appeal is done or the deadline to appeal has passed, then post conviction relief becomes an option if there are still legal issues to raise.